Molecular Biology and Evolution, Vol 12, 582-593, Copyright © 1995 by Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution
BW Murray, S Malik and BN White
Genetic variation at the Major Histocompatibility Complex locus DQ beta was
analyzed in 233 beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from seven
populations: St. Lawrence Estuary, eastern Beaufort Sea, eastern Chukchi
Sea, western Hudson Bay, eastern Hudson Bay, southeastern Baffin Island,
and High Arctic and in 12 narwhals (Monodon monoceros) sympatric with the
High Arctic beluga population. Variation was assessed by amplification of
the exon coding for the peptide binding region via the polymerase chain
reaction, followed by either cloning and DNA sequencing or single-stranded
conformation polymorphism analysis. Five alleles were found across the
beluga populations and one in the narwhal. Pairwise comparisons of these
alleles showed a 5:1 ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions per
site leading to eight amino acid differences, five of which were
nonconservative substitutions, centered around positions previously shown
to be important for peptide binding. Although the amount of allelic
variation is low when compared with terrestrial mammals, the nature of the
substitutions in the peptide binding sites indicates an important role for
the DQ beta locus in the cellular immune response of beluga whales.
Comparisons of allele frequencies among populations show the High Arctic
population to be different (P < or = .005) from the other beluga
populations surveyed. In these other populations an allele, Dele-DQ
beta*0101-2, was found in 98% of the animals, while in the High Arctic it
was found in only 52% of the animals. Two other alleles were found at high
frequencies in the High Arctic population, one being very similar to the
single allele found in narwhal.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Sequence variation at the major histocompatibility complex locus DQ beta in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) [published erratum appears in Mol Biol Evol 1995 Nov;12(6):1174]
Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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